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After selecting wide receiver Phillip Dorsett with the No. 29 overall pick, it’s been all about addressing the defensive side of the ball for the Indianapolis Colts. That trend continued when they drafted Stanford nose tackle David Parry with the No. 15 pick (151 overall) in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Two-thirds of the starting defensive line for the 2014 Stanford Cardinal defense have now been drafted by the Colts in the last 24 hours. Defensive end Henry Anderson was drafted with the team’s second pick in the third round on Friday and it’s become abundantly clear general manager Ryan Grigson is a huge fan of Stanford players.
Parry was arguably the most valuable piece of the dominant Stanford defense this past year. He missed some time with injury and the Cardinal defense really suffered as a result. Parry’s biggest strength IS his strength, particularly in the upper body. He has NFL-ready technique and is a smart and very aware player out of the field. Parry should be able to come in and play right away for Indianapolis.
The biggest knock on Parry is his 31-inch arms, which is extremely short for a nose tackle. His explosive first step and violent and heavy hands makes up for the lack of natural athletic gifts. Parry needs to add a little girth to his frame and I fully expect the Colts to get his weight up from the 308 he most recently weighed in at. It might not be a sexy pick, but the Colts definitely got a lot better with the selection of Parry.
